1 Thessalonians 1:8 says, "And now the word of the Lord is ringing out from you to people everywhere, even beyond Macedonia and Achaea, for wherever we go we find people telling us about your faith in God. We don't need to tell them about it." God has given us a life message to share. There are four parts to your life message:
1. YOUR LIFE LESSON INCLUDES YOUR TESTIMONY
- Your testimony is the story of how Christ made a difference in your life. How you came to Christ. It is important to share your personal experiences with the Lord with others. Sharing your testimony is more effective than a pastor preaching because people see pastors as "professional salesman" and we are the satisfied customers. Its also easier for people to relate to. "Shared stories build a relational bridge that Jesus can walk across from your heart to theirs." (Rick Warren). There are four aspects to your testimony that you should talk about when sharing, what your life was like before, how you realized you needed Jesus, how you committed your life to Jesus, and the difference Jesus has made in your life. Their is a story for every experience God has helped you with. Use your different experiences to related to other people. One experience you have with God may reach one person and another experience may reach someone else. I've been through a lot of life experiences and lived in a lot of places, each experience I have grown and learned so much. I use these experiences to help others and reach unbelievers.
2. YOUR LIFE MESSAGE INCLUDES YOUR LIFE LESSONS
- From our experiences with God we learn life lessons. Psalm 106:43 says, "Again and again he rescued them, but they chose to rebel against him, and they were finally destroyed by their sin." God rescues us from things to teach us life lessons. "While it is wise to learn from experience, it is wiser to learn from the experiences of others." (Rick Warren). We can learn from our experiences but it is even more beneficial if we learn from others experiences. If we share our experiences and others share theirs and we learn from each other we can prevent a whole lot of hurt and pain. We have to be open to learning form others and teaching others. Proverbs 25:12 says, "To one who listens, valid criticism is like a gold earring or other gold jewelry." Learn from other peoples experiences. Proverbs and ecclesiastes are filled with practical life lessons on learning. I recommend reading proverbs first if you have never read the bible. It is the original self help book. "Mature people develop the habit of extracting lessons from everyday experiences." (Rick Warren). Ask yourself these questions:
- What has God taught me from failure?
- What has God taught me from a lack of money?
- What has God taught me from pain and sorrow or depression?
- What has God taught me from waiting?
- What has God taught me through illness?
- What has God taught me from disappointments?
- What have I learned from my family, my church, my relationships, my small group, and my critics?
Each one of us has probably been through each one of these experiences and God has taught us lessons through them. Tell unbelievers how God has worked in your life and what you have learned.
YOUR LIFE MESSAGE INCLUDES SHARING YOUR GODLY PASSIONS
- As you grow closer to God he will give you a passion for something He cares deeply about so you can be a spokesman to the world. Everyone has different passions. I am passionate for helping other people, whether it be my family, my patients, or strangers, I enjoy serving others. Serving is my spiritual gift and I'm passionate about it. What are you passionate about?
YOUR LIFE MESSAGE INCLUDES THE GOOD NEWS
- Romans 1:17 says, "This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, 'It is through faith that a righteous person has life.'" As christians we need to love lost people the way God does. 1 John 4:18 says, "Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love." We need to pray for people who don't know Christ, serve them in love, and share the Good News. The mission field is all around us. Ask God who you should share the Good News with and He will show you.
Point to Ponder: God wants to say something to the world through me.
Verse to Remember: "Be ready at all times to answer anyone who asks you to explain the hope you have in you, but do it with gentleness and respect." 1 Peter 3:15b-16
Question to Consider: As I reflect on my personal story, who does God want me to share it with?
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